You Are Not Alone
by Lyra Raven
Summary: Disclaimer: the title has no connection to any Doctor Who references. Merlin has always been the odd exception - a warlock who does not want to destroy Camelot for Uther's wrongs against those with magic. He has always bit his tongue and hid his magic. Then one day, he finds he may not be alone. He hopes he can build a friendship, but can his newfound acquaintance be trusted?
1. Chapter 1

_Hello, all! I've been a Merlin fan ever since the show first came out, and I must say I was so sad when it ended. I've been wanting to write a Merlin fanfiction for a while now, but I only recently came up with this idea. It's still a work in progress – I am not even completely sure where I want the story to go at this point, but I will do my best to make it interesting. I also may decide to turn this into a series. I will try to update every week or two, probably on the weekends, but apologies in advance for delays between chapters. Reviews and suggestions are always welcome and appreciated, and thank you so much for reading!_

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any _Merlin_ characters, settings, quotes, plots, etc.  
**

 **Chapter 1**

"Merlin!" Prince Arthur's shout jolted Merlin rudely from his sleep. _Ugh_ he thought as he heard the door to Gaius' chambers open and Arthur's boots clunk toward his room. A moment later, the door opened, and Arthur was standing by his bed holding a cup of water above Merlin's head.

"No don't!" Merlin exclaimed, putting his hands up to shield his face.

"Then get up and be on time," Arthur said, exasperated.

"All right, all right," Merlin grumbled, rolling out of bed, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"I need my laundry done, some shirts mended, my armor polished, my sword sharpened, my chambers cleaned, and some papers copied for the meeting this afternoon," Arthur instructed, "And, my stables need mucking out."  
"Great," Merlin said shortly, pressing his lips together to mask his frustration.

"Good," Arthur nodded, paused for another moment, then left.

Merlin yawned as he splashed cold water on his face and got dressed. He said good morning to Gaius as he left, not having time to eat breakfast.

Merlin spent the better part of the morning cleaning Arthur's chambers – despite being the heir to the throne, Arthur wasn't a particularly neat person, and Merlin found what he suspected was evidence of a rat infestation. He made a mental note to set some traps as he gathered up Arthur's laundry and walked down to the launderers. Just as he rounded a corner, Merlin crashed into someone. The person was carrying a tall stack of books, and when they collided, both the books and the clothes Merlin was carrying went flying.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry!" the person exclaimed, flustered.

"No worries, it wasn't your fault," Merlin replied, smiling to reassure the person, who was a girl. She and Merlin gathered up the books and clothes, then they both stood up. Merlin straightened and looked at the girl.

She was short, but clearly not a little girl. Merlin wasn't sure just how old, though, he'd never been very good at guessing ages. She had thick, black hair in a braid down her back, a round face, dark brown eyes, and she was dressed plainly in a simple gray tunic.

"What's your name?" Merlin asked.

"I – I'm Lia," the girl said, "I'm a servant for Lady Morgana."

"It's nice to meet you, Lia. I'm Merlin, I'm Prince Arthur's servant," Merlin replied. The two stood there for a moment, then Lia ducked her head.

"I need to get back to work," she said.

"Of course. I. . . maybe I'll see you around," Merlin smiled again. Lia gave a brief smile in return, then hurried past Merlin and continued down the hall.

Merlin continued on his way, his mood somehow lifted from the encounter. When he arrived at the laundry room, he saw Guinevere working one of the barrels. Gwen smiled as Merlin dumped Arthur's clothes into a barrel next to her.

"Laundry run?" Gwen asked.

"Yep," Merlin replied brightly, then on a whim, asked, "Gwen, do you know a girl named Lia? She says she's one of Morgana's servants."

"Oh yes, I do. She's new, only been here a few days. She's really nice," Gwen replied. She paused, then looked slyly at Merlin, "Is that why you're in such a good mood?"

Merlin blushed slightly, "No, I just met her today. I ran into her – literally."

Gwen just smiled, "All right then, though I must say I've never see you so happy to be doing laundry," but didn't press the matter.

Merlin's good spirits didn't last long, though, and by the time he was done mucking out the stables at the end of the day, his mood was borderline foul. Merlin tried to brush bits of dung off his clothes as he headed back into the palace. Just as he was entering from the courtyard, he happened to glance up at a window, and what he saw made him trip and nearly fall over. Sitting at the window was the girl, Lia, and just for a moment, Merlin saw a glint of golden in her eyes as she turned away from the window. Regaining his balance, Merlin looked back up at the window, but Lia had disappeared inside. Rattled, Merlin forgot about the fact that he was covered in horse dung as he hurried back to Gaius' chambers.

"Ah, hello Merlin. Another hard day at work I see," Gaius looked up from a book and upon seeing – or rather smelling – Merlin's clothes, wrinkled his nose, "Hmmm, you'd best get cleaned up."

"Gaius, you won't believe this, but there's another one living in Camelot, in the palace!" Merlin told him excitedly.

"Slow down, another what?"

"A girl like me. With magic!" Merlin exclaimed. But Gaius didn't appear to share his enthusiasm.

"What, what is it?" Merlin asked.

Gaius frowned, "It's not necessarily a good thing, Merlin. This girl, she might not feel the same way you do about the Pendragons. Did it occur to you that she might be here with ill intentions? The last time you thought a serving girl was cute, she turned out to be Nimueh! How did you find out about her anyway?"

"I don't. . . think she's cute," Merlin blushed slightly, but shook it off, "And I don't think she's like that. I ran into her this morning, she's a new maid for Morgana, and Gwen thinks she's a nice girl. When I came back from the stables, I saw her from a window, and her eyes flashed golden," Merlin replied.

Gaius sighed, "Well, I suppose there's not much to do about it, anyway. We can't very well tell Morgana her new serving girl is a witch, or priestess, or whatever she is. No, best thing to do is wait and see."

Merlin relinquished, "All right. But I'm telling you, she's like me – she doesn't want to hurt anyone."


	2. Chapter 2

_Hi all, sorry this is late! Things have been crazy with exams and papers, etc. Anyway, here is the next chapter. I hope you like it! Reviews are much appreciated, and thank you so much for reading._

 **Chapter 2**

Merlin couldn't sleep that night – he was kept awake thinking about Lia. Despite how he'd tried to convince Gaius that Lia was harmless, Merlin did have his doubts. What if he was wrong? What if she did mean to kill the King or Arthur? What if she didn't actually have magic, and the golden in her eyes was just a trick of the light? Finally, Merlin couldn't take it anymore. He threw off his covers and pulled on his jacket and boots. _There's only one way to settle this_ he thought to himself as he snuck past Gaius' bed and out the door as quietly as possible.

Merlin had to admit was he loved the way the castle felt at night; still and silent, the only movements the flickering of the torches and the only sounds the occasional footsteps of guards changing posts. Merlin followed the passages until he reached the lady servants' hallways, then suddenly realized he had no idea which room was Lia's. Fortunately, he didn't have to guess, because just at that moment one of them opened. Merlin quickly leaped behind a column and peered around to see Lia exit one of the rooms, dressed in clothes and a cloak that suggested she was going out. Lia was clutching a bag at her side, and she glanced around warily before hurrying down the hall in the opposite direction of Merlin. Merlin carefully crept out from behind the column and followed her as soundlessly as he could.

Lia left the palace, snuck past the guards, and exited the castle grounds into the woods. She moved quickly and nimbly, and despite being a warlock, Merlin wasn't the most graceful young man. He stumbled after her, worried about making too much noise but also not wanting to lose her. Merlin followed Lia for a good half-hour until they reached a clearing. Lia stood in the middle of the clearing, glancing around nervously. She seemed to be waiting for someone. Merlin crept around the edges of the clearing but ducked behind a rock as he saw movement in the shadows. A moment later, two people emerged from behind the trees – a young man and woman. The young man looked sick, and the young woman was supporting him. Lia looked glad – no, it wasn't quite gladness, more like relief – to see them.

"Well?" the woman asked.

Lia handed them the bag, "Provisions, they should last for another week. I haven't been able to find anything yet, and I'm not sure coming here was a good idea. They're even stricter here, and anyone who so much as mentions the word magic is immediately considered suspicious. I think. . . I think it may be better to leave, to seek help elsewhere."  
The young man suddenly had a coughing fit, nearly collapsing. The woman caught him, then turned back to Lia and shook her head.  
"No, we've come too far for this. Allan won't last much longer, we don't have time to go somewhere else. You just have to keep looking. Get to know people, gain their trust. Camelot has the largest library in the kingdom, and apparently the best court physician too. There must be something here," the woman replied, "Keep looking. If you still don't find anything, come back next week with more provisions."

"Yes, m'Lady," Lia told them. They nodded, then the man and woman turned and disappeared back into the shadows. Merlin decided then was as good a time as any to make his presence known. _It's not as if I can go up to her in the palace and say 'oh hey, I have magic and could probably help your friend.'_

Merlin stepped out of the shadows behind Lia and put his hand on Lia's shoulder. Immediately, Lia whirled around and whacked him in the stomach, sending Merlin stumbling backward. _Ow!_

"Wait! I'm not going to hurt you," Merlin exclaimed.

Lia's eyes focused in recognition, "You! You're the Prince's serving boy. What are you doing here? Why were you following me!"

"I saw your eyes. I know what you are. . . I have magic too," Merlin said.

"Prove it," Lia demanded.  
"Ok," Merlin slowly got to his feet, Lia watching him warily. Merlin picked up a stick, and said, " _Bæl on bryne_ _."_ The tip of the stick immediately caught on fire.

Lia looked at him, her expression somewhat softening. Merlin looked up at her, then said, "Your turn." Lia held out her hand for the stick, which was still burning, and Merlin handed it her. Lia stared at the stick, but didn't say anything. Her eyes flashed golden, and the stick abruptly extinguished. The most surprising thing, though, was the stick looked completely unscathed, as if it hadn't been burnt at all.

Merlin looked at Lia, impressed, "Who taught you?"

"No one. . ." Lia said slowly.

"That's. . . nonverbal magic, that's very difficult," Merlin commented, feeling somewhat unsettled. _A rogue warlock, untrained, with that much power._

"I – I didn't know, I was born with magic. I've learned to control it over the years – I've had to, especially here. Why am I telling you this?" Lia shook her head and looked away from Merlin.

"Look, I won't lie, I did follow you, and I saw you friend is hurt. I can help – the court physician, Gaius, is my friend. Well, really more of an uncle to me. He knows about me having magic, and I'm sure he can heal your friend," Merlin said gently.

Lia's head snapped up, "He's not my friend – well, he. . . it's complicated. His ailment is not physical, not of anything normal. He has been cursed, infected with an ancient spell so powerful that no one we have gone to can cure it. We haven't dared to visit just any physician though. They always ask how you got hurt in the first place, and us being who we are, well, we can't reveal that. That's why we came here. They had to stay in the woods while I gained a place in Camelot's court, in hopes of finding some information on a cure to save him. I am grateful for your offer, but. . . how can you be sure it will be safe? Where will they stay? I cannot put them up in an inn, it would raise suspicions if I were constantly visiting them. If anyone found out. . ."

"No one will find out, I promise," Merlin told her, although he knew that wasn't a safe promise to make, "We'll find a place for your friends to stay – they shouldn't be out here in the cold, wet woods – and I'll introduce you to Gaius. I'm sure there is something we can do."

Lia hesitated, and Merlin could see different thoughts battling in her head. Finally, she gave a reluctant nod, "All right. I'll tell them." Lia disappeared into the shadows, and Merlin heard low voices, then a moment later Lia reappeared with the pair. Now that Merlin was facing them, he could see what they looked like. The young woman had fine, blonde hair, so bright it looked like gold, and grey eyes. She was of medium height. The young man was about as tall as Merlin and looked about his age, maybe a bit older, with dark brown hair and blue eyes. His skin was pale, so pale his veins showed, and his eyes looked bloodshot. When he coughed, he coughed up blood into his palm, and his whole body shook. The man could barely walk. He was leaning heavily on the woman, and they both looked disheveled and exhausted.

Lia introduced them, "This is Miriam and Allan." Miriam gave Merlin a wary glance, then looked to Lia.

"Are you sure we can trust him?" she asked.

Lia looked at Merlin, then replied, "Yes," though the shadows from the moonlight hid the uncertainty that clouded her face. _That's all right, I wouldn't trust a stranger either – not yet anyway._

"We'll come back tomorrow night – I need a bit of time to make arrangements," Merlin told them, then added another dangerous promise, "I'll do everything in my power to help you."

Miriam gave a tight nod, then said goodbye to Lia. She and Allan disappeared back into the woods.

Lia turned to Merlin, "We'd should go." Merlin nodded, and the two headed back to Camelot in silence.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hello all! In this chapter, you get to find out some of Lia's backstory. I hope you like it! I enjoyed writing it, and now I think I have a better idea of where the story is going. As always, reviews are much appreciated, and thank you so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 3**

Lia met Merlin that evening in the hall outside of Gaius' chambers. She looked nervous, and Merlin supposed he couldn't blame her.

"Ready?" Merlin asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose," Lia replied, "Did you talk to Gaius?"

"Yea. He'll help. Don't worry, we'll get your friends here safely and help Allan – it'll be fine. Gwen says they are welcome to stay in her home, though I didn't tell her that you have magic," Merlin informed her, lowering his voice when he said the word 'magic.'

The two strode quickly through the hallways until they left the palace. They paused at the citadel gates.

"We need to distract the guards. Wait here –" Merlin began, but stopped as he saw Lia's eyes flash golden. A barrel crashed down from a vendor's stall on the opposite side of the square, and the two guards went to investigate. _That works too,_ Merlin supposed, tipping his head. The two quickly snuck out the gates and headed into the forest.

It was completely dark by the time they arrived at the clearing. The only light came from the pale moon that cast luminous shadows in the trees, but it was cloudy and still quite difficult to see. Somehow, Lia didn't seem to have any trouble navigating in the dark, though, and Merlin stayed as close to her as he could without running into her. At the clearing, Lia stopped and waited. A moment later, Miriam and Allan appeared, seemingly from nowhere, and approached them.

Miriam acknowledged Merlin with a dip of her head.

"We've made arrangements," Lia informed them, "But we need to go now, in order to make it back in time."

"Then let's go," Miriam replied. Merlin moved to help support Allan, but Miriam shifted away from him. An awkward pause ensued, then Lia said, "I'll help Miriam, Merlin should lead us back." Miriam nodded and Lia went to help her. The four then turned and headed back to the palace.

Once back inside the citadel, Merlin lead them to Gwen's little house. Gwen opened the door with a smile.

"There you are," she said and let them in. Gaius was inside Gwen's house, and he stood when they entered. Gwen shut the door behind them while Lia and Miriam laid Allan down on the bed.

"Let's see what we have here," Gaius said. He leaned over Allan. After a brief examination, Gaius turned and looked at Merlin, Lia, Gwen, and Miriam.  
"This is certainly magical – very ancient magic as well. It is not something I know how to cure immediately, but I can mix him a potion that will inhibit the progression. In the meantime, we'll need to work quickly to find a cure," Gaius told them. Merlin nodded, Gwen looked concerned, but Miriam and Lia looked stony.

"Do whatever you need to," was all Miriam said.

Gaius nodded, "In that case, I bid you all good night. Tomorrow we can begin searching for a cure." Gaius straightened and, giving them a tip of his head, exited the little house.

"We'd best get back inside the castle," Merlin told Lia.

"Of course," Lia replied. She said goodbye to Miriam, thanked Gwen, then left with Merlin.

The next day, Merlin went to Gwen's house in the late afternoon. As Gwen let him in, he saw Lia already there, sitting at the table. She stood when he entered.

"Hi," Merlin said.

"Hello," Lia replied.

"Miriam's in the next room with Allan. I need to go, I still have some tasks left to attend to," Gwen told them as she left, shutting the door behind her as she left.

"Gaius will be here in a few minutes," Merlin said. He gave Lia a weak smile. They both sat down at the table to wait. Finally, Merlin broke the silence.  
"So, where are you from?" he asked, partially an attempt at small talk, and partially an attempt at finding out more about Lia.

"I – I was from a town on the border, you probably wouldn't have heard of it," Lia replied.

"What do mean 'was' from there?" Merlin inquired.  
Lia hesitated, dropping her gaze, then said carefully, "My town was. . . destroyed. . . by a natural disaster."

"Ah," was all Merlin could think of in reply, "I'm sorry." Lia shrugged, and awkward silence fell on them again. _Not exactly the loquacious type, are we?_ Merlin thought.

"Well," Merlin said after a bit, "I personally think it's a pretty nice coincidence we met. Considering, I mean, the characteristic we share."  
At that, Lia suddenly stood up, knocking over her chair. She locked Merlin's gaze, "No. Don't you dare say that."

Merlin raised his hands, "All right, I'm sorry, I didn't mean offense by that – " But Lia ignored him.

"You think we're alike? Did your baby cries shatter all the glass windows in town? Did you permanently disfigure your best friend when you made your hairbrush explode in her hand? Were you confined to your house because the town council decided you were too dangerous? Do you know how it feels to have your father refuse to be in the same room as you, or your mother barely stand to look at you? Did you cause a wildfire that burned down your entire town? Do you still think we're the same?" Lia seemed to suddenly realize she was standing. She abruptly turned, pulled her chair upright again, and sat down stiffly.

Merlin exhaled, then said, "I'm sorry. It's true I don't know anything about you, and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made assumptions, it's just that I don't meet too many other friendly people with magic. Thank you for telling me, though." At his words, Lia seemed to soften. She sighed.

"No, I'm sorry. That was. . . uncharacteristically emotional of me. And rude," she added, attempting a smile that came out as more of a grimace.

"Not to sound blunt," Merlin began after a careful pause, "But with your town gone, how did you end up with Miriam and Allan?"

"That's. . . that's a long story," Lia replied, shifting uncomfortably.

"I'm willing to listen," Merlin said.

Lia sighed again and dropped her eyes, avoiding looking at Merlin.

"The wildfire I caused – and it was an accident – burned down everything and everyone inside their homes. I think maybe a few escaped, I'm not sure. If they did, they ran far away from me, and I was alone. That's when the druids came."  
"Well, that's good, isn't it? The druids are peaceful," Merlin interjected.

Lia hesitated, then nodded reluctantly, "Yes, they were very kind to me. They recognized me for what I was – my magic – and they told me they could help me, teach me to control it. I was thirteen years old, sitting in the midst of the smoking destruction of my own power. What else was I going to do but go with them?" Lia's last statement came out sounding desperate, as if she needed to justify it to someone.

"Well, they did help you, didn't they?" Merlin asked. He was beginning to wonder whether Lia's relationship to Miriam and Allan and the druids as a whole was really friendly. Lia was certainly jumpy about discussing it.

Lia hesitated again, then nodded, "Yes, they did help me. I've gotten better at controlling my power, much better, but. . . "  
"But. . . ?" Merlin asked.

"I –" Lia began, but was cut off as the door opened and Gaius stepped into the house.

Lia and Merlin both jumped and stood up. Gaius looked at them.

"No need to make such a fuss on my account," he said, ignoring the awkward silence. Miriam emerged from the back room, and Gaius' gaze shifted to her, "I've figured out what's ailing your friend. I don't think you'll like the sound of it, but even more so, I don't think you'll like what needs to be done to cure him."


	4. Chapter 4

_Hello! Here's the next chapter. I wanted to incorporate Morgana and Gwen into the story since they are such great characters. Also, I realize I haven't given a point in the_ Merlin _timeline that this story takes place, but I've placed it sometime before Season 3, before Arthur becomes king and before Morgana becomes evil. Another note is that the 'Flower of Agrea' is completely made up, and if it has any connection to actual legend, it is a complete coincidence. Although I am doing some research and may alter Allan's illness based on some actual legend, for now know the flower is just made up from my imagination. Thanks for reading!_

 **Chapter 4**

"Well?" Miriam asked impatiently. Gaius set down a large book on Gwen's table and flipped to a page somewhere in the middle.

"Here. Allan has an incredibly ancient magical disease, induced by a potion made from this plant," Gaius pointed at a picture of a plant that somewhat resembled a lily, "the Flower of Agrea, and one of the rarest plants in the world. So rare that some believe it's a myth altogether," Gaius told them.

"If it's a myth, then how could he possibly be sick from it?" Miriam asked, crossing her arms.

"All his symptoms fit with the legend. In my experience, I've learned to never discount anything, as far-fetched as it may be," Gaius replied, "And most often, I'm better off for doing so." Miriam raised her eyebrows skeptically, but said nothing.

"All right, then how do we cure him?" Lia stepped in.

"For that, two things need to be taken into account. The first is the cure itself – most of the ingredients are common herbs, but the catch is it requires the root of the same flower that was used to infect them. Brewing the potion is also a complex and delicate process. The second is that once the person has been infected, he has at most a week to live. Tell me, how and when did Allan become infected?" Gaius asked.

Miriam sucked in a breath and replied, "The details are unimportant, but. . . he was infected five days ago." The room was silent for a moment, the urgency of the deadline sinking in.

Then Merlin cleared his throat. "Well then, I guess we should get going," he stated. That seemed to snap everyone back to reality.

"I know where he was infected – that will likely be the best place to start searching for the plant, yes?" Miriam asked. Gaius nodded.

"I know, too, and I'm coming with you," Lia stated.

"Me too," Merlin said.

"Someone needs to look after Allan, though, and I don't have time because of my duties," Gaius objected.

Lia opened her mouth, but Miriam hurriedly spoke over her. "I'll stay," Miriam said.  
"Are, are you sure?" Lia asked, looking rather taken aback. The two women shared a look, then Miriam nodded.

"Yes. You know where to look. You go with Merlin, and I'll stay with Allan," Miriam replied decisively. Lia still looked hesitant, but she didn't object.

"All right," Merlin said, "We'll leave tomorrow at dawn." Lia nodded. Miriam thanked Gaius, then turned and disappeared back behind the curtain to check on Allan. Gaius straightened to leave, and Merlin looked at Lia.

"You go on, I want to talk to Miriam for a minute," Lia waved him off.

 _About what?_ But Merlin merely nodded and followed Gaius out the door.

"Well, they seem nice enough," Gaius began as he turned to head back to the palace. But Merlin put up a hand to stop him. He realized one of the house's windows was cracked open slightly. Merlin could hear Miriam and Lia, and he wanted to listen.

". . . this is not what we agreed on! I left him with you in the forest, but I won't do that again," Merlin heard Lia say. Then a pause. Then a shuffle, and someone let out a quiet yelp of pain.

"I don't really think you have much of a choice in the matter," Miriam hissed after a moment. Then silence.

"All right. Fine," Lia replied quietly. Merlin heard shuffling inside, and he quickly turned to join Gaius before Lia emerged.

Walking back to the castle, Gaius was lost in his own thoughts and didn't ask Merlin what he'd heard, which suited Merlin fine. His thoughts were swimming – what had just happened? Why was Lia not all right with leaving Allan with Miriam? What was it about the druids that Lia was so hesitant about discussing? Merlin shook his head as he realized Gaius was talking to him.

"Merlin? After you get packed, go meet with Lia, tell her when and where to meet to leave. It's best you leave as soon as possible tomorrow, seeing as you only have two days before Allan. . . well. . . you know," Gaius trailed off. Merlin nodded and went to gather his things.

After getting packed, Merlin went to find Lia. Finding her absent from her room, Merlin went to Lady Morgana's chambers and found her alone, cleaning.

"Lia? Hi," Merlin said.

"Oh, hello Merlin," Lia closed a cupboard and approached him.

"I just wanted give you some information. First, we should leave as soon as possible tomorrow morning, preferably before sunrise," Merlin told her. Lia nodded.

"Secondly, this is what the flower looks like," Merlin handed her a piece of parchment. Lia accepted it and looked at the drawing. The flower had seven crimson red petals surrounding a completely black center. The roots were a rusty red that seemed to bleed into the surrounding ground, making the dirt look like clay.

"Also, don't worry about provisions – I'll take care of those. Just pack what you personally need," Merlin finished.

Lia looked up, "Thank you, Merlin." Merlin nodded and turned to leave, but when he opened the door, he found himself face-to-face with Lady Morgana, Guinevere standing close behind her. Startled, Merlin and Lia both froze.

"I – I. . ." Merlin stammered. Lady Morgana smiled.

"Planning a trip?" she inquired, her voice floating gracefully through the door.

"We were just, um, trading paintings," Lia improvised desperately, holding up the picture of the flower.

Lady Morgana put her hands on her hips, "Please, don't deny it. I heard your entire conversation. And before you say it, I wasn't eavesdropping – I was just _listening_." She smiled again. Merlin felt reassured, and he knew Morgana well enough that she wouldn't tell on them. But a glance back at Lia told him she was still on edge. Merlin turned back to Morgana, and decided he had best tell the truth.

"Yes, m'Lady. One of Lia's. . . good friends is gravely ill. He only has a couple days to live, and we need to find this flower for a cure," Merlin admitted, gesturing to the drawing.

"And where is this flower?" Morgana asked.

"We have an idea around where it will be, but it's extremely rare."

"The area is a good half-day's journey from Camelot," Lia added. Merlin was glad she seemed to be relaxing a bit.

"And just the two of you are going?"

"Well. . . yes," Merlin replied, "There's no one else, really."

"Well then, Gwen and I will come with you," Morgana stated.

Immediately, Lia got a panicky look on her face. "Oh, no my Lady, that – we couldn't – I mean –" Lia stuttered.

Merlin held his breath, sure that Morgana would become suspicious. He knew Lia was worried that Morgana would discover their magic. But instead, Morgana just smiled.

"Nonsense, I won't take no for an answer. Safety is in numbers, and if you're traveling a significant distance, you'll need protection. No offense, but you two don't exactly look like prime fighting material."

Lia blushed, and Merlin gave a wry smile. They shared a glance, both of them thinking the same thing. _Well. . . we're actually pretty good. . ._ But, of course, neither voiced the thought out loud.

Instead, Lia reluctantly nodded, "All right. Thank you, my Lady, and Gwen."

"Wonderful," Morgana replied, "See you early tomorrow."

With that, Morgana and Gwen swept past Merlin and Lia into her chambers, shutting the door behind them, leaving Merlin and Lia outside. Silence hung for a brief moment, both of them still trying to process what had just transpired.

Lia took a breath, "Well, then. I'll see you tomorrow, Merlin."

Merlin gave a start, coming out of his own thoughts, "Yes, sounds good. All right. Good night, Lia."  
"Good night, Merlin."


	5. Chapter 5

_I'm so sorry, I know it's been forever since I've last updated! Things with school have been crazy what with finals and papers and life in general. This chapter was also a bit of a slow write, though I did my best on it. I didn't want to rush the main plot along too much, though, so this chapter instead provides more of a background story. I hope you enjoy, and again, my apologies for the delay, I'll do my best to update sooner! Thanks for reading._

 **Chapter 5**

Merlin didn't have any trouble waking up long before dawn the next day – he was too full of excited-nervous energy. He dressed quickly, trying to be quiet, but found Gaius awake with breakfast waiting for him when he exited his room.

"Eat up," Gaius said. When Merlin finished eating, Gaius rose and fetched a satchel, which he handed to Merlin.

"Some extra food for the road – don't run out," Gaius told him, then added, "Be careful, Merlin."

"Don't worry," Merlin replied with a smile. He said goodbye to Gaius and headed out the door.

To his surprise, Merlin found Lia, Morgana, and Gwen already waiting in the castle courtyard for him with four horses. The girls were all dressed in boots, pants, and tunics rather than dresses. Miriam was with them, too – supposedly to see them off, but she was sticking close to Lia, who looked tense. Lia looked relieved when she saw Merlin, enough so that she gave him a smile.

"Merlin! Good to see you," Morgana greeted him brightly. Her long, dark hair was pulled back into a braid, and she looked positively radiant, as always. Gwen smiled, looking tired, but Lia looked like she was feeling good. She shook off Miriam's arm and went to take her horse's reins.

Morgana then turned to Miriam with a seemingly cold look, "As you can see, we're all ready to leave now. So, we'll bid you goodbye." Miriam gave her an equally cool stare in reply, then bowed and replied, "Yes, _my lady_ ," a not-so-hidden hint of condescension in her voice. But she did leave, after glancing at Lia once more, and the tenseness gradually faded.

The four of them rode quietly through the pre-dawn hours. None of them spoke much, and when they did, it was in quiet voices. Something about the dark, morning stillness hushed them all, as if the world were covered in a thin, glass cover and a too-loud noise would make it shatter.

Eventually, though, the sun did rise. They travelled along a beaten path through the forest, and with the growing light, their voices rose. Lia and Gwen rode in front, since Lia knew the way, and Morgana fell back to talk to Merlin.

"How are you, Merlin?" she asked.

"Good thanks, you?" Merlin replied.

"Fine. It's nice to get out of the castle for a while. It can become so stuffy," she commented, "And with good company, too. Lia is very interesting. She's named after Liandrin, apparently," Morgana way saying.

"Sorry, who? Liandrin?" Merlin asked.

"Oh, Liandrin – it's Lia's full name, though she told me she hates it. Liandrin is a historical female character from some legends. I read a bit about her a while ago, when I was bored and browsing in the library," Morgana said lightly.

Merlin gave her a sidelong glance, considering her remark. _Morgana's only spent a little while talking to Lia, and she already knows more about her than I've found out in days. Well, I suppose she doesn't know about her magic._ It suddenly struck Merlin to ask Morgana about what she knew.  
"What do the myths say about her?" he inquired.

"You really want to hear the whole story?" Morgana raised an eyebrow. Merlin nodded.

"All right, you asked for it," Morgana took a breath and began.

"In the old days when magic was prevalent, Liandrin was apparently a powerful sorceress. She was born into a poor home, with too many mouths and not enough food to feed them. Liandrin loved her family, but she was constantly unhappy with her family's state. On the day she learned she had magic, she left home to seek out a teacher – someone to show her how to control and use her magic – in hopes that she could someday help her family. She found a good instructor, an kind, ancient warlock named Deagon.

"She studied hard, and soon, Deagon discovered Liandrin's capabilities were far greater than any other wizard known in existence. However, he wasn't the only one who noticed. His long-time enemy – a witch named Aiden – approached Liandrin when she was alone in the woods one day. She promised Liandrin great things – unimaginable things – and told her that Deagon was holding her back, intentionally not teaching her all he knew because he was jealous and did not want Liandrin to surpass him. But when Liandrin refused to believe Aiden, Aiden cast a spell rendering Liandrin immobile. Aiden took Liandrin away, locked her up in the dark for so long that by the time she released her, Liandrin was broken. Her mind was not her own, and Aiden was able to control her. First, she set Liandrin against Deagon, forcing her to kill her old master, gaining the victory over him that Aiden herself never could attain. Then, she sent Liandrin on something of a murder spree – killing anyone Aiden commanded. She became known as Liandrin the Black, the monster parents told their children about at night to make them behave, the dark force that farmers blamed bad luck on. Liandrin herself was reduced to an empty shell, vacant eyes, hardly more than skin and bones controlled like a puppet by Aiden.

"Years later, though, Aiden died. Despite having magic, she still aged and couldn't live forever. Finally, Liandrin was free. The bind that had held her mind for so long was gone, and Liandrin's thoughts were lucid and entirely her own again. She set out to find the only other magician she knew of – a witch named Asha. However, she didn't seek out Asha for help. Liandrin was fully aware of the amount of blood on her hands, and she couldn't stand it. She went to Asha to ask for punishment. Now Asha, being a kind person, saw Liandrin's anguish and took pity on her. She told Liandrin she could kill her – end the pain quickly – but Liandrin was so distraught she refused. She begged Asha for something worse. Death, in Liandrin's opinion, would be painless, too easy after what she'd done. So, Asha settled on a compromise, seeing that Liandrin was adamant about punishment but also wanting to put her out of her misery. Asha cast a spell on Liandrin that all her descendants, all the generations that carried her blood, would be cursed with bad fortune. Then Asha wiped Liandrin's memory of, well, everything.

"Asha nursed Liandrin back to health then brought her to the outskirts of a small village and left her for the villagers to find. Due to Asha's spells, she had no idea she had magic, or who Asha was except a kind stranger, or even who she herself was except that her name was Liandrin. But the village took her in and Liandrin lived with them for the rest of her life. She did, eventually, fall in love and marry, since she didn't remember Asha's curse. She had children, but somehow, they always seemed to come to bad luck – accidentally breaking a leg from merely tripping over a stone – or turn to immoral actions, such as stealing or killing. Liandrin never knew why, and eventually she died, finally leaving it all behind."

Morgana took a deep breath when she finished. Merlin remained silent, letting Morgana have a break from talking so long and because he was trying to take in the entire story. It was, as Morgana had said, very interesting. _All myths and legends, of course. . ._ Merlin thought to himself. _But that story was ages ago, anyway. It's highly unlikely that Lia could be descended from. . . someone like that. And anyway, she's not an evil person._ But still, the story made Merlin feel unnerved, partially because of the fact that a girl named after Liandrin was scarcely twenty feet in front of him and partially because he knew from experience that most legends tended to have some – or a good deal – of truth to them. The thought nagged at the back of Merlin's mind as he watched Lia laughing with Gwen ahead of him as they continued on their way.


	6. Chapter 6

_Hi all! Sorry for the late chapter, but here it is. This is also a bit of a longer one as I may not be able to update in a couple weeks due to AP exams, finals, papers, SAT subject tests, etc. Best of luck to anyone else facing APs as well! Apologies for the delays, but thanks so much for reading._

 **Chapter 6**

Their journey took the four to the very farthest edges of the kingdom, right on the border between them and a neighboring land. The place was still forest, but deeper woods than those near Camelot. The trees seemed larger, the moss thicker, everything bigger and more. . . alive. Lia dismounted as they neared a clearing.

"This is where Allan was cursed," Lia gestured at the clearing, "We should split up and look, it will be faster that way."

Morgana nodded as she dismounted. "I agree. We all know what the flower looks like – we'll meet back here in an hour," she said as she tied her horse to a tree. The group split up, Gwen going back in the direction they came, Lia heading deeper into the woods, Morgana heading toward another clearing, and Merlin taking a route toward the sound of running water.

Merlin shortly came across a stream and, thirsty, knelt down to drink.

"I'm not sure about that water, it tasted mostly like dirt to me," a voice said behind him. Merlin abruptly rose to his feet and whirled around, coming face to face with Arthur Pendragon.

"Arthur!" Merlin exclaimed in mixed surprise and excitement. A smile broke out on his face.

Arthur winced at Merlin's shout and rolled his eyes, "Yes, Merlin, it's me. No need to shout it to the whole forest."

"Well there's no one to hear us but trees," Merlin replied, still grinning. Arthur rolled his eyes, but before he could reply, the three women arrived, all of them running.

"What happened?" Lia asked breathlessly. Then she focused on Arthur, and her eyes widened. She seemed to stop breathing altogether. Gwen, on the other hand, smiled when she saw Arthur.

"Arthur!" Morgana said happily and at a lower decibel than Merlin, "What on earth are you doing here?"

"I've come because my servant abandoned me with no explanation," Arthur replied, frowning at Merlin, "Gaius told me. Don't worry – it wasn't his fault. I practically had to reach into his mouth and drag the information out. I've come to help. Now. Who is this Liandrin?"

Lia looked up warily, and Merlin was surprised to hear Arthur use her full name.

"Me, my Lord. And please, it's just Lia," Lia said, approaching cautiously. Merlin supposed he could understand why she'd be skittish. He was the Prince of Camelot, after all.

Arthur looked her up and down, and Merlin couldn't help but wonder what he saw. A short little girl? A quiet, mouse of a servant? Someone hiding a secret? But Arthur merely nodded in acknowledgement and said, "Pleased to meet you." Lia curtsied quickly, and an awkward silence ensued.

"So, where do we begin?" Arthur asked after a moment.

Morgana glanced at the sky, "Well, at this point it's getting too dark to look any longer. We'd best make camp." Everyone nodded in acknowledgement and headed back to the original clearing.

Gwen and Morgana got started taking care of the horses, and Arthur went to catch something to eat.

"I'm going to get firewood," Merlin said.

"Oh, I'll come with you," Lia said hurriedly and quickly ran to join him. They headed off into the woods.

"Why is the Prince here?!" Lia exclaimed once they were out of earshot of the others.

"Like he said, he's here to help," Merlin told her.

"But what if he finds out? It's bad enough that Morgana and Gwen might find out, but if the Prince finds out – ! Well, the King won't be much farther after, will he?" Lia's agitation rose until her voice was nearly an octave higher than when she'd started speaking. Merlin stopped, setting down the wood he had picked up, and put his hands on Lia's shoulders.

"Don't fret, you needn't worry about any of that. Just don't use your magic, and it'll be fine. And if anything does happen, I'll protect you," Merlin said, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt. _Another dangerous promise. . ._ he thought to himself, but gave her a reassuring smile to hide his uncertainty.

Lia studied his face, seemingly searching for something, then eventually nodded and shrugged his hands off her shoulders. Merlin awkwardly dropped his hands, and they both resumed collecting firewood.

By the time they got back, the sun was near setting. Arthur had caught a bird of some sort, and Morgana was skinning it while Gwen finished up with the horses. Arthur was laying out his bedroll. Merlin dumped the wood down in the middle of the clearing, then took out a flint and started making a fire. Once he got the fire going, Merlin proceeded to cook the birds, then they all ate dinner. Afterward, Arthur stayed up chatting with Morgana and Gwen, but Lia kept quiet, sitting a bit away from them. She kept glancing at Arthur, and Merlin suspected she was still wary of the prince. Merlin supposed he couldn't blame her. After a while, the fire began dying, and they got ready for bed. Arthur came up to Merlin as he was laying out his bedroll.

"Merlin, I was wondering –" Arthur glanced over his shoulder at Lia, who was talking to Gwen as they put the fire out. He turned back to Merlin and continued, "How much do you know about Liandrin?"

"Lia," Merlin corrected him, before he could stop himself, "Her name, she goes by Lia."

"What difference does it make?" Arthur asked.

"That's what she likes to be called," Merlin replied quietly, "But in response to your question, Lia is a very nice young lady worried about her friend in mortal danger. And I'm going to help her no matter what you say."

"No need to get so snippy, Merlin," Arthur said, "I'm not going to try to prevent you from helping – I'm here to help, if my presence is any indication of that – but I don't need to trust her. I just wanted to know a bit more about her." Arthur turned away from Merlin, who opened his mouth, but shut it again, seeing that now Arthur was annoyed and talking to him would do no good.

 _That's the problem, though. No one trusts Lia – not even Morgana, despite all her cheeriness toward her. Can't blame them. . . but this won't work well if it continues._ Merlin sighed and shook out his bedroll, laying it down on the ground just as the girls finished putting out the fire.

Merlin was awakened in the middle of the night by shuffling next to him. He opened his eyes surreptitiously to see Lia standing up, peering out into the dark woods at something. Lia crept toward whatever she was looking at without looking back. Merlin, of course, stood up and followed her.

 _What is it with Lia always sneaking away in the dark and me always trying to follow her silently through the woods_ Merlin grumbled as he nearly impaled his arm on a broken tree branch. Abruptly, Merlin looked up as he saw a bright, purplish light ahead of him. Lia was halted at the edge of a small clearing, a small, glowing, purple orb floating in the middle of the area. Lia stood transfixed staring up at it, then it suddenly started pulsing, brighter and larger. Lia suddenly looked panicked and started backing away, but then the orb let out a shockingly bright light that blinded both Lia and Merlin. When Merlin looked back, he was shocked to see a woman standing in the middle of the clearing. She had long, impossibly black hair, dark purple eyes, and wore flowing black robes. A glowing purple aura the same color as the orb surrounded her. The woman looked at Lia.

"Hello, Liandrin," she said. Her voice sounded like a hundred little bells echoing in an empty stone corridor.

"How do you know my name?" Lia asked suspiciously."

"Oh my dear, I've known your name for a long time," the woman replied. She abruptly turned and looked directly to where Merlin was standing.

"Hello, young warlock," she said. Lia turned and looked at Merlin as well.

"I knew you'd follow Lia, and it is all right. This is something you should both hear," the woman told him, "Please, come closer." Merlin cautiously approached, standing next to Lia who, to his surprise moved closer to him.  
"Who are you?" Lia asked.

"I am Asha," the woman replied, "I am a witch, and very old one at that. Most don't remember me except from lore now, but I still exist."

"But, that lore is centuries old. Forgive me, but how can you still be alive?" Merlin interjected.

"My magic has kept me alive," Asha replied, then continued, "I have something important to tell you, concerning you and Aiden."

"Aiden?!" Merlin and Lia exclaimed at the same time. They looked at each other for a moment, then Lia turned back to Asha.

"But Aiden died! She died in the fire. . . the fire I caused," Lia said. _What!?_ Merlin's mind was racing.

"That's what you think. But Aiden is actually an age-old witch, almost as old as myself, but with far more malicious intent than me," Asha said, "She's been watching you since you were born, pretending to be a young girl to win your trust."  
"What? That makes no sense!" Lia exclaimed, "Aiden was my best friend. Even if she were alive, she'd never hurt me."

Asha looked at Lia sadly, "I'm afraid you're not quite correct about that. But please, let me finish. Aiden is alive, and after the fire you caused, well, she's not waiting to hunt you down any longer. I have tried to keep track of her since the fire, but she's learned much in her years, and I lost her trail. Now that you've grown and have more control over your power, Aiden is even more intent on finding you."  
"For what?" Lia asked, doubt still etched on her face.

Asha hesitated, then simply said, "Unimaginable things." She paused a moment before continuing, "You need to be very careful. It may take her some time, but she will find you eventually."  
"Am, am I strong enough to fight her?" Lia asked.

"Perhaps. I don't know, but that may be where you come in," Asha's gaze swiveled to Merlin, "Your combined powers would be an incredible force to be reckoned with. I will do my best to track Aiden, but I cannot make any promises. And I am bound to this part of the forest – should I stray, I will disintegrate and die. But together, you two might be invincible."

Suddenly, the three heard a twig crack back in the direction of their camp.

"Someone's stirring. You need to go, but heed my warning, Liandrin," Asha said. Lia nodded and turned, walking away. Merlin turned to follow, but just as he took a step, Asha spoke again.

"Emrys," she said. Merlin turned back around. "I would be wary of Miriam. There is something. . . not quite right about her. I cannot place it, but I would most certainly keep a close eye. Best of luck." Then Asha's aura glowed brightly, shrank back into an orb, and disappeared into the shadows.


	7. Chapter 7

_Hello everyone! Sorry it's been a while, but here is the next chapter. As the end of the school is drawing near, I will hopefully have more time to write, although I will be away for much of the summer so postings may not be as frequent as I would like. I've got a better idea of where this story is going, so new and exciting things for the future. As always, reviews are much appreciated, and thank you so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 7**

Merlin awoke with a start, sputtering as he realized he was both wet and cold. Merlin frantically wiped the water from his eyes and looked up, expecting to see Arthur standing over him with a bucket of water, but much to his surprise, Arthur was all the way on the other side of the clearing. The wet was from the rain, which was coming down heavily, and the cold was from the biting wind that swept through the trees. Gwen, Morgana, Arthur, and Lia all looked equally cold and miserable.

"What are we going to do now?" Morgana asked concernedly.

"We can't search in this weather – we'll have to wait for the storm to stop," Lia had to shout over a loud gust that shook the branches above them, pelting them all with more water. Merlin looked to Arthur, half-expecting him to object and demand they return to Camelot immediately, but Arthur merely nodded and remained silent. The five of them sat huddled as close to the tree trunks as possible, trying to find some shelter from the weather.

It took hours for the storm to abate. Merlin watched Lia's face growing progressively more worried with every passing minute – another minute less spent searching for the flower and, by extension, Allan's cure. Finally, though, the wind stopped, then the rain, then sunlight started peeking through the angry clouds. The group unwrapped their soaked blankets, hanging them on the trees to dry, and stood in the spots with sunlight to try to warm up a bit. After a few more minutes, the group decided to split up and search for the remainder of the day.

Although he wouldn't admit it, Merlin was doubtful that they would find the flower at this point. But just as he ready to turn back for the clearing, he noticed something red peeking out from behind a hollowed log. Figuring it was worth a look, Merlin walked over to it, and there it was. The red flower looked almost exactly like the sketch – red petals, black center, and roots that dyed the surrounding dirt reddish-brown. But more than that, the flower exuded a sort of powerful energy, a kind that Merlin was sure only he and others with magic would be able to feel. Merlin shouted to the others, who quickly joined him. Lia arrived first, and her face broke into a relieved smile when she saw the flower, but it suddenly turned to uneasiness.

"You just stumbled upon it? That seems easy. . . maybe too easy. . ." Lia said uncertainly, but trailed off as the other arrived. Merlin dug into the dirt around the flower, exposing a root.

"We should take the whole flower," Lia said, "Leaving it here, well, someone else could come along and make it into a poison. We don't want this happening to someone else." Merlin nodded and dug up the whole flower.

Lia turned to the others, "Now we need to get back to Gaius as quickly as possible." They nodded, and all of the them headed back to their horses, gathering up the blankets and supplies, then mounting up and turning toward Camelot.

This time, Arthur rode ahead with Gwen and Morgana, while Merlin and Lia stayed behind them. Merlin didn't mind – the three rode far enough ahead to be out of earshot, which gave Merlin a chance to talk to Lia in private and find out more about her.

"So, how long have you lived with the druids?" he asked.

"About. . . three years," Lia replied, "They're the only people who have accepted me for I truly am."

"So, who are Miriam and Allan to you, exactly? They must be very close to you for you to leave the other druids just to help them," Merlin asked, trying not to sound too prying.

"Well," Lia hesitated, then replied, "Miriam is my friend, and Allan, I. . ." Lia blushed.

"You like him?" Merlin asked, the question blunt, mostly just because Merlin was surprised.

"I'm not sure I would have made it sound so childish, but yes, if you want to put it that way," Lia said wryly, "Allan was very kind to me when I first joined the druids, and eventually, our friendship became something more."

"I see," Merlin said after a moment spent searching for a right word. Lia laughed. It was nice to hear her laugh, Merlin thought. She seemed so serious when he had first met her, when she was back at the palace with Miriam and the others. Merlin had to admit, he was a tinge reluctant to be heading home – he would miss hearing her laugh. _Gosh, getting a bit too sentimental, aren't I?_ Merlin shook his head.

They returned to the castle by nightfall that day. Lia rushed to get Gaius while Gwen went to check on Miriam and Allan. Merlin stayed to take care of Morgana and Arthur's horses while Morgana left to unpack.

"Well, that was about the most uneventful journey we've ever gone on," Arthur commented as he pulled his saddlebags off his horse.

"I'm sorry about that, Sire," Merlin replied politely

"No please, I'm glad," Arthur said, "Nothing happened, which is a good thing."  
"You were worried Lia was leading us into a trap, weren't you?" Merlin asked, sounding more accusing that he'd intended.

Arthur gave him a hard look, then said, "Merlin, I don't know Lia, and I don't trust her. And I think you'd do well to be wary too."  
Not able to find the right words to reply, Merlin turned away from Arthur. He was tired of everyone doubting Lia, even though he knew they were probably right. Arthur sighed and finished with his horse, then walked away into the castle while Merlin took the horses into the stable.

 _Why do I trust Lia? Or. . . at least want to trust her? Because she's like me?_ But as Gaius had warned him, just having and hiding magic didn't make them the same. After he'd finished with the horses, Merlin went to Gwen's house. Gwen and Miriam stood around Gaius, who was mixing something in a pot on the stove. Lia was sitting next to Allan on the bed. He looked worse – even paler than when they'd left and having difficulty breathing. Lia's face was strained and worried. She glanced up when Merlin entered, just as Gaius turned around from the stove.

"I need a cup," he said. Gwen reached into a cupboard above him and got out a wooden cup, which Gaius poured the liquid from the pot into. It was a deep red color and hardly looked appetizing. Gaius brought the cup over to Allan, and Lia stood to make room. Gaius pinched Allan's nose and poured the mixture into his mouth.

Everyone watched Allan. First, he froze and stopped breathing altogether. Standing next to Merlin, Lia sucked in a breath and unconsciously grabbed Merlin's arm. Merlin glanced down, but didn't say anything. It made him smile, despite Allan's current state. Then Allan coughed, and a strange, glowing red orb escaped from his mouth. The orb floated above him for a moment, then dispersed into red dust that settled onto the floor and disappeared. A moment later, Allan opened his eyes. Beads of sweat collected on his face, and his skin still looked deathly pale, but he was clearly much better. Lia breathed in relief, then noticed she was clutching Merlin's arm. She slowly let go, glancing at Merlin in embarrassment.

Gaius checked on Allan, who was well enough to talk, while Gwen and Merlin stood off to the side. When he was finished, Gaius turned to Lia and Miriam.

"He'll be fine. He just needs a few days' rest, but then he should be ready to travel again," Gaius told them.

"Thank you so much, Gaius," Lia said warmly. Miriam said nothing, but nodded in thanks as Gaius stood and exited the house. Merlin looked at Lia, but she had turned her attention to Allan.

"I'm going to stay here for a bit," she said without looking at them.

"We'd better get back to the palace," Gwen said to Merlin. Merlin glanced at Miriam, who showed no signs of either moving closer to Allan or leaving with them. Merlin decided to ignore her for now, and nodded in agreement with Gwen. They turned and followed Gaius out. The last thing Merlin saw before the door closed was Lia gently taking Allan's hand. For some reason, it made him feel uncommonly uneasy, and perhaps just a dash of jealousy.


	8. Chapter 8

_Hi all! Ugh, I'm so sorry! I know I say that every time, but I really am sorry I'm so horrible about updating. Unfortunately, I'm also going to be out of town and unable to have dependable access to a computer and/or wifi for the next few weeks at least, so it will be a while until I update again. I'm so sorry, but I really appreciate you all for still reading and putting up with my inconsistent posting. I hope you all are doing great, and for those of you in school, I hope you are looking forward to the impending summer break! Here is the next chapter; I hope you enjoy, and thanks so much for reading!_

 **Chapter 8**

For the next few days, everything progressed smoothly. Allan got better each day, and they decided it would be best to move him and Miriam into the palace, just so Gaius would have quicker access to him should something go wrong. Almost a week later, Gaius declared Allan would be fit to travel by the morning. Lia broke into a smile, but Miriam looked a mixture of pleased and impatient.

Then the next night, Merlin had just gone to sleep only to be awoken by someone knocking frantically at the door. He heard Gaius move to unlock the door.

"Lia! What are you doing here?" Gaius exclaimed in surprise. Merlin quickly got out of bed and left his room. He opened his door to see Lia standing in the middle of the room looking disheveled and a bit shaken.

"I'm, I'm sorry, but I – overheard something. I didn't know what to do, but I needed to tell someone, so I came to find Merlin," Lia said anxiously. She looked up at Merlin as he approached, "Miriam snuck out earlier tonight. I was surprised, so I followed her. She went to the edge of the woods and I heard her talking to someone – I couldn't get close enough to see who it was – but she asked about a plan. Miriam said everything was in order, that Allan was finally ready. Apparently getting Allan poisoned was their way into Camelot. They said tomorrow would be the day."

"The day for what?" Merlin asked slowly.

Lia hesitated a moment before answering, "They're going to kill them. Not just the King and Prince Arthur, but everyone in the court and kingdom without magic. They're going to take over, start a reign of only people with magic."

Gaius said, "Well we'd better do something."  
"Of course," Merlin said, frowning. He didn't want to look Gaius in the eye, or Lia for that matter. Gaius had been right – and even the witch, Asha, had warned him against these strangers. He should have listened. . . _But, Lia's not on their side, right? She wouldn't have told us this if she weren't._ Merlin looked up at Lia as the thought crossed his mind.

"But how can they do that? Only Miriam and whoever she was talking to?" Merlin persisted.

"Whoever Miriam was talking to must have been a witch. And Miriam has powerful magic herself, but I don't think they were the only ones. It sounded as if they had an army of some sort," Lia replied.

Lost in the turmoil of his own thoughts, Merlin said nothing for a while. Gaius was the one to break the silence again.

"We need to make preparations, and I'm afraid we don't have time to spare. Merlin, fetch that lamp over there and bring it to the table. Lia, please sit," Gaius said. He then reached into a drawer and pulled out a map of the castle, which he laid flat on the table. "You and Merlin are powerful warlocks yourselves, and as of now, you're the best defense we have against magicians. What we need to do is get you a fair fight; just you two against Miriam and the witch she was talking to, and not having to fight an army as well – the knights of Camelot can deal with that. Now, let's look at the blueprint. . ."

Merlin had to smile as he admired Gaius for taking the initiative in the situation. Although he was old, Gaius was extremely clever, always kind, and had more knowledge about life than anyone else Merlin knew. He couldn't fight with them, but he'd do the best he could to help them. Gaius was remarkable, and Merlin would never be able to repay him for everything Gaius had done for him.

Merlin got the lamp and lit it, then turned back to the table and joined Lia and Gaius. They stayed awake late into the night – or rather, early into the morning – until they finally devised a plan.

Standing near a pillar outside the female servants' chambers, Merlin yawned and tried to surreptitiously rub his eyes. Gaius gently elbowed him to jolt him awake. In total, Merlin had probably gotten about an hour's worth of sleep last night since they'd been up trying to figure out a plan to save Camelot. _Again. Honestly for the number of times I save Arthur and his father's necks. . ._ Merlin grumbled to himself. He glanced at Lia, standing near a pillar opposite him. She glanced quickly at Merlin, then directed her attention to a door that was opening. A moment later, Miriam emerged with Allan from Lia's room. They appeared deep in conversation. Merlin watched Lia take a deep breath, then she and Merlin both stepped forward.

Merlin could see Lia was straining to look normal – she was holding a binding spell, one to restrict Miriam's movements, which she hopefully couldn't detect.

"Miriam, Allan," Lia greeted them, "Gaius wanted to see you quickly, just to make sure Allan is fit for travel."

"He's in one of the spare rooms of the palace – he just finished treating someone," Merlin added, "Follow me."

Whether aware of the spell or not, Miriam nodded. She and Allan followed Merlin and Lia. Merlin could hear Lia breathing shakily next to him. He wanted to reach out a hand to comfort her, but knew it would look suspicious, so refrained. Merlin lead them to the room Gaius had picked out – a relatively small one, away from the main rooms of the palace, one with only one small window and one door. Merlin opened the door, and stepped aside, letting Miriam and Allan inside.

As soon as Merlin and Lia had steppe through after them, Merlin turned and bolted the door, casting a quick spell to keep it in place. Miriam and Allan whirled around, Miriam looking enraged.

"I knew it – this was a trap," she hissed, then spoke a few words in a tongue Merlin did not recognize. Immediately, orbs of black-blue fire materialized in Miriam's hands. Lia retaliated by summoning orbs of red fire. But then, much to Merlin's surprise, Allan gestured with his hand, shooting a stream of green light at Lia, which stopped just in front of her face. Lia looked at the green light, then at Allan, shock and betrayal written plainly across her face. _She knows what that is. . . but what is it?!_ Suddenly, their carefully crafted plan had just fallen apart. Then the stream of green light entered Lia's mouth. She gasped, and suddenly collapsed. Merlin quickly caught her, supporting her as she fell. She was regaining consciousness.

"Lia, what happened? Are you all right?" Merlin asked. Lia's eyes shot open, her irises the same green as Allan's magic. She focused on Merlin, then suddenly flicked her hand. Merlin felt as if a train hit him as he was flung backward.

Merlin shouted in pain as he hit the wall. He saw stars, and desperately shook his head to clear it. _That spell was powerful_. . . Merlin couldn't think straight. The spell must have done something to his mind as well as physically smashing him against the wall. Through his fuzzy vision, he could see three silhouettes – Miriam, Allan, and Lia – approaching him. Miriam laughed, summoning her blue fire again.

"Did you really think we were that ignorant? That we'd let Lia, as powerful as she is, run about uncontrolled? No, we had her under our control almost the entire time. Everything she told you, _Merlin_ , was to gain your trust and make out plan so much easier. Allan, well, he's been such a brave dear, sacrificing himself to help us infiltrate Camelot. And now, we're right where we want to be – us three," Miriam gestured at herself, Allan, and Lia, "at the heart of Camelot – the castle itself. We're going to kill the King, and Prince Arthur, and all those without magic. Or rather, Lia will." Miriam smirked, and Merlin's gaze turned to Lia, whose face was cold and empty, her eyes still rimmed with the strange green of Allan's magic. _It's some sort of controlling spell. . ._ Merlin didn't want to think about it, but his scattered thoughts turned back to the legend of Liandrin and all the destruction she'd caused. But he didn't have time to dwell on the idea, because Miriam was talking again.

"We'll build a new empire, on top of the bones of the old. An empire of magic," Miriam stated grandly. Then she paused and leaned down so her face was looking straight into Merlin's, "But first, Merlin, Lia is going to kill you."


	9. AN

Hello all! I'm so sorry, I know it's been forever. This summer has been crazy. I really have no excuse, but I wanted to post this update. I'm taking a break from this story – school is about to start and I'm going to be swamped with schoolwork and test prep. I may still work on this story a bit, but it will be quite a while before I post any more of it. However, in whatever spare time I have, I will be working on a rewrite on my two previous stories (they aren't connected to this story, though), and trying to post an updated chapter on those when I can. Again, I am so sorry, thank you for reading this anyway. If you have any suggestions for the story please don't hesitate to let me know. Until next time - I wish you all the best!


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